I’m tired of pretending I don’t want it. I’m done acting like it has no chance to exist. The time has come to say it with zero shame: I want the Snyderverse back. I want to see the original vision that so many of us invested in finally come to life in all its gritty glory. Today we’re going to talk about why reviving the Snyderverse isn’t just a good idea… but why it’s slowly becoming a possible one.
THE PAST
It’s 2013. Everything feels fan-effing-tastic. Zack Snyder, director of 300 and Dawn of the Dead, is hired to pivot the Superman franchise away from the missteps of Superman Returns. Christopher Nolan signs on as producer fresh off the legendary Dark Knight trilogy. Hope is in the air.
But the June 14th release of Man of Steel splits audiences in two.
You either walk out:
- Psyched, thrilled by a more adult, grounded take on Superman, Hans Zimmer’s “Take Flight” echoing in your head…
or - Pissed off that it didn’t feel like the Christopher Reeve/Richard Donner version of old.
Some were angry about no red trunks, about the color palette, or that it felt “too serious.” Others, like me, saw it as a more realistic reflection on hope and humanity. Regardless, the argument began right away, refereed by the perpetually flawed Rotten Tomatoes algorithm. Man of Steel’s 57% “Rotten” score wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t the glowing praise Marvel was enjoying at the time.
This became ammo for Warner Bros. executives desperate to copy the Marvel formula. They questioned every thoughtful choice Snyder made. It led them to butcher Batman v Superman until Snyder had to release an Ultimate Cut, which (pattern incoming) proved to be significantly better. Batman v Superman had issues, sure. The Martha moment could’ve been tighter, the Doomsday storyline needed more room, and Jesse Eisenberg was… a choice. But what its critics ignored were the thoughtful and mature themes underneath the badass superhero spectacle.
Snyder explored post-9/11 national security anxiety, trauma, and the psychological fallout of gods walking among us. Nolan was praised for grounding Batman, but Snyder was crucified for grounding Superman. The studio panicked and dismembered the film trying to please critics who were never going to like it anyway.
Then tragedy hit. Snyder stepped away from Justice League after the loss of his daughter. Warner Bros., still desperate to be Marvel, forced Joss Whedon onto the project. The result was walking garbage: a Frankenstein of mismatched tones, cheap jokes, and alleged horrific behavior behind the scenes.
Fans believed a better, darker, more epic cut existed, and launched the relentless #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign. Years later, against all odds, they were proven right. Once again, left alone, Snyder had delivered real art with real stakes.
THE PRESENT
Snyder’s films aren’t perfect. That’s fine. But we’re clearly not applying the same scrutiny to others.
James Gunn’s 2025 Superman film is praised endlessly, yet it has:
- Bright, goofy tones
- Corny dialogue
- Some downright rough-looking VFX
- And a digitized poodle standing in for Krypto (for toy sales, obviously)
And that’s okay! Just like it’s okay that Batman killed a few dudes in BvS. Big whoop.
Comparing the two only makes everyone miserable. You can complain Superman killed Zod; I can argue he had to do it to save an innocent family. You can dislike the (in my opinion heartbreaking) tornado scene; I can point out Gunn rewrote Superman’s entire origin and made his real parents villains.
Both films are flawed. Both approaches deserve to exist.
There’s no reason one needs to erase the other.
Which brings us to the story Snyder was actually building toward…
The epilogue of Zack Snyder’s Justice League shows a post-Anti-Life world. Lois is dead. Superman is corrupted. Earth is ruined. Batman teams up with the last surviving heroes, plus Deathstroke and Joker. Snyder later confirmed Joker is there because he knows where a Mother Box and secret Kryptonite stash are hidden. Their conversation in the scene is massive, Snyder’s version of the Heat diner moment. Snyder planned to reveal Joker murdered Robin, Batman killed Harley, Aquaman is dead, and Superman is hunting the survivors.
Here’s what Snyder revealed about the planned sequels:
Justice League 2
- Follows the ragtag team as they steal the Mother Box.
- Flash uses it to go back in time and warn Bruce.
- Lex Luthor solves the Anti-Life Equation with the Riddler.
- Luthor tips off Darkseid that killing Lois is the key to breaking Superman.
- Lois dies in the Batcave under Batman’s protection.
- Superman falls to Anti-Life.
Justice League 3
- Darkseid invades Earth.
- The final war begins.
There were also anthology-like stories planned, including Joker recounting how he killed Robin. And yes, Superman was going to kill the entire nightmare team before Flash rewrote the timeline.
It’s wild, ambitious, and unlike anything comic films have dared to do.
THE FUTURE
Snyder himself has admitted a Snyderverse revival felt like a long shot. But he also said the Snyder Cut felt impossible, and then it happened. He’s said that if a company like Netflix acquired the rights to his branch of DC characters, he’d return in a heartbeat. And Netflix’s leadership publicly said they’d pursue it, if they had the rights.
Fast forward to 2025: Warner Bros. is up for sale. Netflix, Paramount, and Comcast are expected bidders. And here’s where it gets spicy: multiple reports suggest Saudi sovereign wealth funds may participate in bids, offering creative perks, including guaranteed IP rights. Add this to the fact that Snyder is currently working with the head of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority on a UFC film called Brawler. It’s not a bat signal… but it’s definitely a puff of smoke.
And let’s be honest: Warner Bros. leadership was the biggest obstacle to Snyder’s original plan. Those executives are on their way out. The door is cracking open. (NOTE: This script was written before Netflix came out the winner of the Warner Bros. bidding war.)
Absolutely.
Snyder’s vision has aged incredibly well. Since Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the formulaic MCU approach has slowed down dramatically, while darker auteur-driven storytelling is thriving:
- The Batman
- Joker
- Deadpool & Wolverine (Marvel’s first recent mega-hit—rated R)
Audiences want risk again. They want style. They want ambition.
Meanwhile, James Gunn’s Superman, despite glowing praise, still made $55 million less than Man of Steel did in 2013.
So why not have both?
Let there be a lighter, kid-friendly DCU and a darker, more adult one. Batman is already happening in multiple universes. Oversaturation isn’t a problem when the tones are this different. And the Snyderverse already has a massive built-in fanbase with endless online reach. The demand is real.
Even if it’s not your thing, the option should exist. Fans shouldn’t have to tear each other apart over differences in taste.
So, yeah. However it happens, I’ll say it proudly: I want the Snyderverse back. And at this point… it might actually happen.
